Medicine 8 Explained

Medicine 8
Birth Name:Liam May and Luke May
Origin:London, England
Genre:Acid House
Electro
House
Techno
Years Active:1996 - present
Label:Regal Recordings, Trashmouth Records

Medicine 8 are a British electronic music duo composed of brothers Liam May and Luke May.

Biography

The duo began DJing and producing in the mid-nineties under a variety of aliases, releasing music under their own imprint. Luke explained how they took on the Medicine 8 name in an interview with Scruff:“We started our own label in 1996 putting out twelve inches which was when everything really started, though that wasn't as Medicine 8. It just so happened that one of the 12”s people picked up on was Capital Rocka, for which we had just happened to use the name Medicine 8, so we stuck with it”.[1]

They released their rock-fused electro debut album, IronStylings in 2002 on Regal Recordings to critical acclaim. The album spawned the singles Rock Music Pays Off and Capital Rocka. The latter of which had gained popularity in its own right after they gave a dub-plate to Carl Cox who played it at the Miami Music Winter Conference. It also featured the track Mystery Murdered which sampled The Velvet Underground's own Murder Mystery. Of this version, member Lou Reed commented: "One time, this band called Medicine 8 sent me a new version of a track that only a Velvet Underground aficionado would know existed. They did it so much better than I did and I love when that happens."[2]

They have been regulars in Ibiza as well as at the Miami Winter Music Conference, and have appeared at many of the major UK dance festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Creamfields and Homelands. They also held a residency at Pacha in Argentina and featured in a number of sessions on BBC Radio 1.[3]

As remixers, they have re-worked tracks for Gus Gus, Kylie Minogue, Orbital, Manic Street Preachers, Nirvana, Tiga, X-Press2 and many others.

Now releasing music through their own label, Trashmouth Records,[4] they began work on their second album in 2011. The year also took in live appearances that included the Cloud 9 Festival in Cheshire.[5]

Releases

TitleFormatLabelYear
Oxygen Seeds10-inch SingleRegal Recordings2002
Rock Music Pays OffCD,12-inch SingleRegal Recordings2002
Capital RockaCD,12-inch SingleRegal Recordings2002
IronStylingsCD, 2xLP, AlbumRegal Recordings2002
Kimchi4512-inch SingleRegal Recordings2003
DJ World Series: UK Flava HouseCDDJ Magazine2003
Gimme What You've Got12-inch SingleRegal Recordings2005
The Flea (And Now It Sucks Me...) 12-inch SingleRegal Recordings2006
Transmission One12-inch SingleRegal Recordings2007
This Is Electra MiteMP3Lot 492008
Mercury Injection (featuring Leticia La Bruja)/ Rock Music Pays Off (Hip-House Remix)Double-A MP3Trashmouth Records2011
Cry Baby (with Kurtis Hardrive)/Cry Baby (Dub Mix)MP3Trashmouth Records2012
My Kamera (with Tom Songs Color TV) (Vox Mix)/My Kamera (Dub Mix)MP3Trashmouth Records2012

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MY BIG BREAK: Medicine 8 (interview). 20 November 2011.
  2. News: You Ask The Questions: Lou Reed. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/you-ask-the-questions-lou-reed-6165122.html . 12 May 2022 . subscription . live. 9 February 2013. London. 22 July 2004.
  3. Web site: Maverick Mixers and Mudders of Messy Medication. MAVERICK MIXERS AND MUDDLERS OF MESSY MEDICATION. 5 January 2011. 20 November 2011.
  4. Web site: Helmholtz Resonators' 'Hades' to be the fifth release on Trashmouth Records. 19 September 2011. 20 December 2011.
  5. Web site: Ed Sheeran, The Futureheads & More: Cloud 9 Festival. 17 December 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20120426070830/http://glasswerk.co.uk/news/national/13842/Ed+Sheeran%2C+The+Futureheads+%26+More%3A+Cloud+9+Festival. 26 April 2012. dead.